The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2021-11-24 EMC agenda item 5-b(i) - Funding Hawai'i County Solid Waste Management Options Discussion Draft by Georjean Adams for EMC Meeting 11/24/21 Updated with additional comments from EMC Commissioners 10/27/21 Funding Hawaii County Solid Waste Management Options Regardless of the approach to funding county solid waste management, we need to have fairly detailed information on the true costs of managing the wastes generated on the island. This should include evaluating operating efficiency with current Transfer Station locations, having a single landfill, and the life cycle impacts of recycling operations. Also, while it has been argued that we need a more current waste audit of the percentages of what kinds of waste are created, SWAC felt the minor changes in percentages would not warrant the costs of a professional audit. 1. Status Quo: annual budget proposed to county general fund and state managed funds - subject to anytime changes (see presentation 7/28/21) General Fund (Property Tax) 65% Tipping Fees (commercial waste only) 33% Recycling Grants (mostly from state DOH EPR fee programs) 2% CIP – county bonding authority 2. Enterprise Fund for Solid Waste Management (same as Wastewater Management) – Fee for service Enterprise Fund focuses on a long-term planning process that includes preventative and ongoing maintenance, staffing, training, and future needs, as well as financial reporting and auditing. Most of the financing is based on the fees or bonds backed by future fee payments. This approach should also focus on revenue sources with recovered materials. Funding must be sustainable. See Bizfluent description of an Enterprise Fund (https://bizfluent.com/facts- 7304143-government-enterprise-fund-.html) A. Increase Tipping Fees at Landfills - Revise residential hauler credit - Increase fees for special wastes or wastes that could have been recycled. - increase tipping fees per inflation and realistic costs B. Pay As You Throw – fee per pound or volume differentiated by waste vs recyclable to incentivize waste reduction and recycling. Primarily residential, but could also be commercial. - New fees on residents. Need to establish curbside pickup where appropriate or monitoring by weight or volume via scales or tagging system at the Transfer Stationgate. - Allow small business to use recycling bins (only) at Transfer Stations for a less than tipping fee. - Enforce litter rules/education C.Increase percent for SW on property tax –line item to show cost for service and match to true cost of service D.Establish county TAT for waste management(water and solid) -to cover proportion contributed by tourists island-wide Discussion Draft by Georjean Adams for EMC Meeting 11/24/21 Updated with additional comments from EMC Commissioners 10/27/21 E. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) - to take over programsor reimburse county. Likely state level law needed and subject to uncertain distribution to county. - Improve electronics EPR state law and fees - Expand oil recyclingto smaller quantities - Other product categories that make sense for island (e.g., packaging, paint, batteries, mattresses) F. Waste Reduction Programs – not free, but could lower net costs. - Increase recycling opportunities (e.g., compost collection and facilities, on island processing, construction & demolition recycling and less costly disposal sites). Gain revenue from recovered materials and seek opportunities to create valuable commodities, e.g., combining aquacultural wastes with greenwaste to produce high nutrient compost, generating R1 water and sludge-based compost from WWTP for sale. - Sustainability education - Expanded reuse capacity (e.g., repair, better reuse center facilities, materials exchanges for B2B) - Policies that encourage/require recycling collection services by business and residential owner associations - Bans. Note: Organics, Paper and Construction & Demolition Waste are by far our biggest volumes, with Plastics at <10% of landfill volume. G. Point of Sale Service Fee on Products – set fee based on what? The more complex, the more cost to administer. Simpler is regressive and does not result in waste reduction. - Flat per pound landfill tipping cost for everything ($0.10 –$0.15/lb, including cars?) - Likelihood of being recycled (e.g., same cost for food even if will be composted?) - Refundable deposit for recyclables (HI5 exempt?) - Hazard of waste product (e.g., electronics, oil-based) - Whether waste is landfilled or sewered(direct fee to appropriate fund) - Are online purchases able to deal with “fees” vs taxes? 3. Continuous Grant Acquisitions – to build infrastructure, fund innovative solutions and education. Doubtful this is sustainable to maintain operations. - Federal funds come with a lot of hurdles; best to stick with state. - Need grant writing experts on staff 4. Support public private partnerships to collect and repurpose current waste with a philosophy of sustainable resource management. This would require dealing with: - Konno decision restrictions - Current contracts Discussion Draft by Georjean Adams for EMC Meeting 11/24/21 Updated with additional comments from EMC Commissioners 10/27/21 - County and state restrictions that discourage volunteer organizations to provide services such as public schools that can only use county contractors and beach cleanups - Leveraging programs like Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPC) - Piloting innovative technologies with private parties and educational institutions - Establish Recycling Market Development Centers –connect supply and demand on island and the state. POSSIBLE NEXT STEPS for EMC: Continue discussion at next meeting - Support initiatives already identified by DEM (increase ADF glass, ADF quart volumes of oil, e-waste EPR improvements, higher greenwaste tipping fees and mulch sales, more efficient transfer station operation, etc.) - Focus on recommending single, doable high-value effort, eg aquaculture- greenwaste compost capabilities - Support overcoming staffing problems in DEM so they can manage these initiatives - Explore mutual brainstorming and support from RAWEEMC (Adams to follow up)